i do not read
to lock myself
away
or to hide
nestled between
printed pages

a book is not an escape

because i don't read
to forget
why my heart is shattered
or to chase away
the eyes
that haunt me
at night

a book is not an escape

i do not read to be transported
from this world
to another
leaving it all
behind

a book is not an escape

i do not read
with the intention to laugh
or to cry
or to fall in love
with the ideals of a lie

a book is not an escape

i do not read
for the wings words give me
or the ability to breathe
under waves

a book is not an escape

i do not read
to be able to feel
or to get wiser
(a contradiction)
or to be free
or captured
in the bars
created
by adjectives

a book is not an escape

i only read to be me